Stupid Traditions
by noellestarr
Summary: She throws it high. Flying, screams and shouts try to reach it first. I can't help but roll my eyes. And when it hits me on the head and falls into my arms, I think, "Oh, crap." One/Shot! Katniss comes to a realization about weddings : Please Read!


**Hey everyone! Just a one shot I decided to write. It is pretty much all over the place. But it is basically just a time in Peeta and Katniss's future, and Katniss realizes that weddings might not be all bad. **

**So before I begin: Please Review! All you have to do is push a button! It's not that hard(: You can do it! *starts chanting***

**So, here you go. Enjoy, and please let me know if I should write more. Thanks! (:**

Mmm, the smell of spring.

My eyelashes flutter open and I take in a deep breath, and then close them again.

_Tastes like spring too._ I think silently.

"Hey dandelion, wake up, it's your favorite season." I say aloud sarcastically.

Only to be greeted by the sound of silence, I flip over on my side to reveal no one next to me.

I sit up quietly, and pull on my slippers, hugging myself tightly as I close the open window of our bedroom. Why he loves the windows open when he sleeps, I will never know. Could it be that late already?

I trudge down the stairs and search the kitchen for company. Nothing but dirty dishes flopped everywhere. Okay, now that's weird. I mean, I never clean the dishes... But he's such a neat freak...

"Hello?" I call, no answer.

I wander around the house anxiously and start to get bored. Where could he have gone? It's a Sunday for goodness sakes! We were supposed to do something...

I flop on the couch and desperately start humming a fun tune.

I roll over on my side and stare up at the ceiling. When suddenly, I hear talking outside. I rush to the window to find him outside talking with Haymitch.

I fling the door open and walk to where the pair is standing.

"Hey, Mr. I'll Just Ditch Katniss In Bed Without A Note Of Warning." I grunt.

"Morning, beautiful." Peeta smiles and gives me a peck on the lips.

"Whatever." I roll my eyes. "So, what's going on?" I look from Haymitch to Peeta, searching for answers.

"Oh, Katniss!" He grins like an idiot. "I went to Haymitch's to receive a call from Johanna, and she's getting married!" He sighs happily.

"Okay... Your point is...?" I look up at him.

"We are invited! And she wants you, Katniss Everdeen, Ms. I Hate Weddings," He pokes me playfully, "to be a bridesmaid."

"Does she seriously think I'm going to do that?" I ask.

"She knows you care about her." He smiles in content.

How can he just smile like that all the time? I don't get it. Every day it's just, "Hi, I'm Peeta, and I'm a ray of sunshine! No big!" But it is big. He just has to go around pretending like it isn't, for my sake I guess, so I don't go nuts again.

But, nevertheless, even though it annoys the heck out of me, I love him despite.

"Maybe a little." A small grin creeps onto my face.

"Great." He smiles and gives my shoulder a squeeze. I try to smile back.

"The train for 4 leaves tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" I sputter, "Eager much..." I mutter to myself.

"Common, Katniss! Weddings are great." He says excitedly.

Easy for him to say, he's not the one getting married. I know he wants me to marry him, I mean, he really _really_ wants me too, but I guess I'm just not ready for that sort of a commitment.

He hasn't popped the question or anything yet, but he hints at it all the time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the boy with the bread, very much, he's my dandelion in the spring, but seriously? Who needs a whole dress and party to confirm mutual feelings? I just don't get it. I love Peeta, and he loves me. Do we really need someone else to confirm that for us?

"I bet." I say slowly.

"Yes! Okay this is going to perfect!" He exclaims and runs into the house.

Sometimes I wonder if he's mentally stable. Other times I thank the sky I'm lucky to have him. These kind of times I wonder if I'm with a little girl in disguise.

"Uh..." Is all I can manage.

Haymitch gives me a pitying look before saying, "See you tomorrow, sweetheart." And he leaves for his own home. I have no choice but to head for mine.

I open the door and see Peeta cleaning the dishes. Thank you, I thought no one would do them!

Crap... he's rubbing off on me.

I walk towards him and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Hey." I say.

He turns around.

"Hey."

"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier..." I start.

"No need to apologize." He gives me a slow lingering kiss and I melt into his strong arms. It's times like this when I find I can't believe how much he can make me forget everything.

"It could be fun... For a wedding, that is." I say slowly.

"I think it will be." He answers, and gives me another kiss before he heads back to the dishes.

I wander upstairs and take in my closet, wondering what to wear for the occasion. Wait, Johanna wants me to be a bridesmaid, so I don't have to choose a dress. Excellent. One less thing I have to do before tomorrow.

I flop on my bed and lay there staring up at the blank ceiling. Wouldn't it be nice to have something to look at up there because I stare blankly at it so often? I'm completing ideas when Peeta walks in and lies down next to me. I rest my head on his chest and we lay there for a little bit. After a while, he finally speaks up.

"Why do you hate weddings so much, Katniss?"

This question hits me off guard. Because I don't exactly know why, I just do. I don't mind small, District 12 weddings though as much as I do some of the Capitol weddings. Those weddings are out of this world crazy.

I remember one time Gale came over many summers ago and we watched a televised wedding of one of the Capitol people's I think. It was crazy. Birds, feathers, huge ice sculptures, road flares... I can't go on. I figure it's time I give him a straight answer, so I speak up. I plan on giving him a snappy answer; I want to say, "Why do you _love_ weddings so much?" But, I don't. Instead, I just say, "I don't know."

Usually, he would let me be, but this time he pushes farther.

"There's got to be a reason. I mean, weddings are supposed to be happy! They always make me cry..." He trails off.

I roll my eyes and turn to face him.

"I just don't get it. If you have two people that unconditionally love each other, why do they need someone to confirm their emotions? If they already know they are in love..." My voice fades as he cuts in.

"I don't know." He replies. "But it's beautiful anyways. I guess it's just a reminder to me that there is still good in the world. You know, love." He smiles.

I nod my head in understanding. I get where he's coming from. But how is it a good thing when all the people that you love are gone? Well, except for one.

"I always dreamed of the day I would get married." He admits, blushing slightly. "Considering how much I cry at weddings already, I can only imagine how much I would cry if it was my own."

This makes me smile. If we do indeed get married one day, I hope he doesn't cry buckets because what does that say about me? But it still makes me laugh.

"I would hope not." I laugh with him.

He smiles that smile of his that pours emotions out of me, so I kiss him. We lay there, kissing each other gently in our own little world until I hear awkward coughing. I spring up and find myself staring at Haymitch.

"Haymitch? What the _hell_? Have you EVER heard of knocking?" I'm pretty sure I blush a deep scarlet because he laughs lightly.

"Yes, but I wasn't expecting...this."

"What were you expecting then?" Peeta asks, his brows furrowed.

"Not this." He sits us down and speaks quickly.

"Listen, so I'll meet you at the station tomorrow morning." Haymitch instructs.

"We already knew that." I grumble, still upset for the interruption.

"I came to give you this. It just came straight from District 4. Your dress." He hands me a crimson package.

"Thanks." I mutter.

"Well, I'll... Uh... See you tomorrow then." He stumbles out in a drunken, awkward haze.

I roll my eyes and sit on the bed, holding the package in my arms.

"Are you going to open it?" Peeta asks me with intrigue in his eyes.

"Tomorrow." I tell him.

The day goes by rather quickly. I go hunting for a couple hours and return with some good game. Peeta goes by the bakery and makes sure things are set for the weekend, and informs the workers of what to do while he is away. He is so prepared and organized. I am neither.

By the time we return home, we are all around exhausted. I climb into

bed and shut my eyes hoping for sleep to come fast, and as soon as Peeta crawls into bed with me, and I am in his arms, I drift into a deep slumber.

Come morning light, spring is rushing through every fiber of my being. I wake up early, as the mockingjays are humming a sweet tune, and climb out of bed.

I plant a kiss on top of Peeta's forehead; he looks so beautiful when he sleeps. His blonde eyelashes flopped about, his messy hair taking over the pillow, and his mouth parted open slightly. But mostly the steady rise and fall of his chest.

I pack both of our bags quickly, and decide to fix a little breakfast downstairs. Cooking is not entirely my specialty, but then again, what is?

I flip a couple of pancakes, or should I say flop them. One lands in the sink, another on the ground, and another on top of my head. By the time I'm on my 6th attempt, Peeta comes down the stairs.

"Mmm, I smell burnt pancakes!" He laughs heartily.

I roll my eyes and hand him the pan and mix.

"Why don't you give it a shot?" I say sarcastically and grab some dishes to set the table.

Only 15 minutes later, we are sitting at the table eating hot, yummy pancakes topped with homemade butter and syrup.

"Why are you so good at everything?" I mumble as I shove a bite of pancake in my mouth. I sigh in content. "They're so fricking good!"

He laughs and takes my hands in his.

"I'm not amazing at everything. Remember my attempt at hunting? I was as loud as an elephant trying to tiptoe through a silent forest. At least that's what you said."

I nod in agreement and raise my arm and make a fake, funny elephant noise and wave my arm up and down. Peeta shoves me playfully.

"Now let go of my hand! You're restraining me from stuffing myself with this fluffy goodness!" I giggle.

He lets out an exasperated sigh and I laugh. This day might not be so bad after all.

We board the train for District 4 along with Haymitch. I hate trains. They just bring thousands of bad memories back into my head. It's too hard to forget. On the way to the Hunger Games. On the way to the Quarter Quell. Haymitch telling me Peeta wants to be trained alone. The rooftop. Darius as our new avox. Nightmares.

I squeeze Peeta's hand harder and try to push these thoughts out of my mind.

"You alright?" He leans over and whispers to me.

"For now." I mumble.

We all sit down in the newly added passenger car and just wait. I rest my head on Peeta's shoulder, and his hand rests on my leg.

It's almost noon before we reach 4, and I can't wait to get off this stupid thing.

We walk out, still in silence and Peeta calls up Johanna using a pay phone.

"Hey... Johanna? We're here." Peeta talks into the phone and a smile forms on his face.

"Of course. Haha, very funny. Yes, we will be there soon. Okay, okay, aww shut up! Okay, bye."

I look at him quizzically and he just shakes his head.

"Alright, we're supposed to meet them at the Chance Wedding Hall." He instructs.

"Them?" I ask.

"Yeah, the rest of the bridal party! You know you have the bachelorette party tonight, Katniss?" He smirks.

"I have to go to that?" I mumble.

"Of course, just like I'm going to the bachelor party."

"You don't even know the guy!" I roll my eyes.

"No, but I will soon." He grins.

We get to the wedding hall in a hurry, and as I see Johanna in the hall, I cannot believe how happy she looks.

"Katniss!" A grin spreads across her tight face as she engulfs me in a hug.

"Hi... To you too?" I get out.

"Since when are you so cheerful?" I poke her giggling.

"I guess love does that to you." She blushes and mumbles quickly.

"Peeta, hi!" She pulls him into a hug and whispers something into his ear that makes him roll his eyes.

"Haha, like that's going to happen anytime soon." He laughs.

"I'm sure it will! I've heard you're _very_ convincing." She grins and then says hello to Haymitch.

I raise my eyebrows. What are they talking about? I am, a very curious and impatient person. I will find out eventually.

I say goodbye to Peeta and manage a quick kiss and a mouthed, "help me" before I am whisked away along with the rest of the bridal party.

The night goes by rather quickly, which I am extremely thankful for. They drink, they party, they laugh. I find myself awkwardly sitting in the corner most of the time. That's when Johanna comes by and sits down next to me.

"Hey. Having a good time?" She asks me.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I guess bachelorette parties just aren't my thing. I never would have guessed they were yours!" I tell her honestly.

"I didn't think so either," She snorts. "But then Jeremy came into my life, and well, you know the rest."

"I don't actually. But... I would like too." I gave her an encouraging smile.

"Oh, well okay. We met on the beach, actually." I gave her a smile. Beaches make me think of that evening during the Quarter Quell, where Peeta gave me his locket, with pictures of Gale and my family in it. But what really makes me smile is the memory of feeling loved.

"I was watching the sunset actually, on the rocks, and he sat down next to me and said 'Isn't it beautiful?'"

"I told him it was, and we just sat there without saying any words. It felt, nice, just taking in the sunset and having someone next to you to share it with." She laughs, "This made me think of you and Peeta actually."

I laugh along with her, but this story has me intrigued, so I encourage her to continue.

"So every Saturday following that one, we met up and watched the sunset together. Eventually we started small talk, and then got into our whole life stories. It just happened so quickly! And we started dating, and well, here we are!" She laughs.

I smile, "That's sweet."

"Thanks." She says back.

"Well, I'm going to get back in there. Let me know if you need anything." She starts back towards the crowd of partying girls.

"Oh, and Katniss?"

"Yeah?" I look up.

She bites her lip, "Just... Keep an open mind." And with that, she has disappeared into the crowd.

What could she mean? "Keep an open mind." I don't understand. I have kept an open mind! I came to this bachelorette party, which I can tell you, WAS NOT part of the plan. So what is she talking about?

I don't have time to think it over, because I am pulled into the girl mob for some bachelorette craziness. It would be a lie to say that I didn't have a decent time, I did, and it was nice to lose myself in the happiness for a while.

But as soon as I am in my hotel room, with Peeta lying next to me, I lose myself in love. I ponder this for a while. Peeta Mellark. I ponder him. I love him more than anything in the entire world, so why am I so afraid of marrying him? I have to admit, Katniss Mellark does have a wonderful ring to it that sends shivers up my spine. So why am I not ready? We've been through so much together. The thick, the thin. The pain. And when life took its toll on everything, he was there, loving me unconditionally. Even though for some time it was unrequited.

But it no longer has to be unrequited. Because I love him, so so much, he is my sun. My sky, my rain, my meadow. My dandelion. He shines through it all, and pulls me from my dark abyss of nightmares to a place where I can be truly happy.

So why am I not ready?

Why am I not ready, when I love him more than anything in all the districts? The world? The universe? Am I just that selfish? That I only don't want to marry him because I think the ceremony has no point? No. That can't be right. Because if I really do love him, I _will_ marry him.

So the next day, after Johanna is married to the love of her life, and we are whisked to a wonderful reception, I am happy. For her, for love, for everything. And I realize, the ceremony does have a point.

She throws it high. Flying, screams and shouts try to reach it first. I can't help but roll my eyes. And when it hits me on the head and falls into my arms, I think,

_Oh, crap._

"I just caught the bouquet." I say aloud.

But I just laugh, and shoot Peeta a sarcastic smile that when he smiles back with more love than one could ever give in a lifetime, I return it.

I love the boy with the bread.

He was right. There is still love in the world. And when people are gathered together to share it, they are inspired. Inspired to capture some of that magic for their own.

So, my mind is open. And I am ready.

Ready to make that _glorious_ magic my own.

**Yay! Thanks for reading, and now you know what to do…**

**PLEASE REVIEW! (:**


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